Ursprache!

Hey, readers, here's something I forgot to write about last week: the National Spelling Bee was televised live on Thursday night, and although I could go on and on about how wonderful and simultaneously sad the whole thing is, Dirk provides all the social commentary I would but in fewer words.

We (the summer staffers) watched a little bit of it and got outspelled every single time. And how funny were those kids angling for hints? With every question we sensed a growing desperation in the speller's demeanor and yelled things at the TV.

Speller: Can I have the language of origin please?

Judge: Probably urdu.

Trout: Uh oh.

Speller: Are there any alternate pronunciations?

Judge: No.

Trout: You're done!

Speller: Can you define the word please?

Judge: A small rodent-like animal found in South Asia.

Trout: You don't stand a chance! Sit down! SOMEONE RING THE EFFING BELL!


Ah, yes. Nothing quite like armchair quarterbacking a spelling bee.